DirecTV Announces Series From Writer-Director Neil LaBute

DirecTV has tapped playwright, screenwriter and director Neil LaBute (“The Shape of Things,” “In the Company of Men") to write and produce a series of 10 short films to air on DirecTV’s Audience Network, Deadline.com reports.

The deal was announced a month before the premiere of DirecTV’s limited series “Full Circle,” also based on LaBute’s scripts, but this time around LaBute plans to be more involved with the production, the story says.

Chris Long, SVP of DirecTV’s original content and production, said LaBute will be given “full creative control” over the short films.

“We are proud that Neil has chosen DirecTV as the first place to write, produce and direct his own material,” Long said. “The films will be produced with a true auteur model; we’re striving for the least possible distance between the artist’s vision and the final product.”

The project is aiming for a quick turnaround. Production is set to begin this month, with the films slated to begin airing in the late fall, the story says.